Wichita Art MuseumPartner Story

In June 2024, the Wichita Art Museum (WAM), located in Wichita, Kansas, opened Pop!, an exhibition featuring works on loan from the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. The exhibit – on view until June 29, 2025, and supported by Art Bridges’ Partner Loan Network – displays Pop artworks from both institutions, including pieces by iconic artists like Roy Lichtenstein, Jim Dine, and Claes Oldenburg from the Whitney’s collection, as well as Alex Katz’s Maine Cow (2006) from WAM’s permanent collection.

The loan allows WAM to showcase a wide array of mid-century American art at a time that the movement has risen to the global stage and stimulates conversations among visitors as they’re able to view Pop art in the exhibition alongside works of abstract expressionism and minimalism in the museum’s permanent galleries. Borrowing from the Whitney’s expansive collection also gives WAM the opportunity to expand its program offerings to further engage with audiences.

The Wichita Art Museum is creating original programming designed to attract new or lapsed visitors by using these fun and accessible artworks from the Whitney’s collection. The broad appeal of Pop art makes loans, such as this, an ideal way to implement artmaking, gallery tours, artist talks, and other programs for adults between the ages of 25 and 50, a demographic WAM is eager to reach. While this exhibit is on view, WAM will experiment with various engagement activities and receive feedback from visitors to improve future programming.

We love that WAM is using loans to re-envision and reinvigorate American art in its permanent collection. By exhibiting the Whitney’s selection of Pop art, WAM is finding new ways to present and activate Pop among other mid-century American art movements on display in its space.

This loan also allows the museum to collaborate with Art Bridges’ Learning & Engagement team to pilot programming that is designed to reach its target demographic of visitors, aged 25–50.